John w



J.' w; MEAKER.

Coin Counter.

Patented April v7'; 1868.

Inl/mio@ ggm ggnitrb gisten latnot @fittaA Letters Patent .No. 76,492, 'dated Apr-il?, 1868A..

IMPROVEMENT IN arraimtms ron assomme G01N.

@Ipflphxrlc referat ta in lgcse tettets ateut mit mating pitt tf tige same.

TO ALL WI-IOM IT MAY CONCERN':

:Be it known that I, JOHN W. MEAKER, of Chicago,` inv the county of Coiokpand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-A ssorters and Registers; 'and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

'making part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, like letters indicating like 'parts' wherever they occur.

AIo enable others skilled in the art to Aconstruct: and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

My invention consists i n new, certain, and important improvements in my device for asserting, holding, and registering coin to be used in business transactions in banks, and wherever money is received and paid out, and also' in a device for holding currency, to be used in connection with the coin-apparatus," for which I have recently filed an application for a patent. In the drawingsi' Figure I is a front elevation. v v

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a part detached.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line a: x of -ig. 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of lthe follower detached.

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of the bottom of a. portion of my device.

I construct my device, with the exceptions hereinafter mentioned, in a manner very similar to the one for .which I have an application now pending, `making it of any size desired, to accommodate the diEerent kinds of coin in common use, and of any material suitable for the purpose. l

In my present devicp, I make the assorter, B, for distributing the coin, anddelivering them automatically, in nearlythe same manner as described in my former application. It consists of a box, with its bottom and rear sides, c d, inclined to one another, as shown -in ligs. 2 and 3, and with its front only partially closed, with the stripf, as shown in figs. 1, 2, and 3.- To this 'box is attachedv the hopper D, arranged so as to deliver the coin edgewise into an inclined way made by the guides g h, along the front side of the back, of the box, as shown in iig. 3. The guides g L are arranged so that, by havingthe bent portion of the upper one, h, narrowA in width as it leaves the hopper, and continue growing-narrower to its lower end, the space between the edges of the guides will be constantly growing broader. The space within' the box is divided by partitions, so that there may be one for each of the tubes below, as shown in tigsl.. -The distances between the guides g and 7L are so arranged that one ofthe different-sized coin will fall into each'space between the partitionsz', on to the inclined bottom c, and thence slide-'into the tubes, respectively, for which they are designed. As the coin, in running down the inclined way, lean forward, they will fall out whenever their upper Iedge'is released by the increasing width of the distance between the guides g and h. By having thefront of lthe box open, as shown and described, access is at once had to the'inclined way, and to the bottom, c, so as to remove ior move along any of the coin that may get foul in any way. This is an improvement over my former device. l

4In the body or form A of my present device, I place a series of vertical tubes, with diameters of diiferent sizes, and with their fronts graduated and marked off, as in my former application, and as shown in fig. l. In.

figs. l and 3 there are twojraysof delivering the coin from the tubes shown-one from the top and the other fromv the bottom of the tubes. The method of delivering from the top was fully set forth andclaimed in my former application, and is clearly shown in figs. 1, 2, and 3.

In my present device, instead o f having the follower b moved by a spiral spring placed beneath it in the tube, as in vmy former application, I fasten a. small hook, s, under the table Cr, and connect the follower b togit by the external springs or ru'bber bands C, as clearly shown in igs. 2 and 3. In this way, by the use of external springs, the tubes can be entirely filled with coin, and the space taken up bythe spiral springs wholly utilized, and at thel same time the follower presents the coin promptly for delivery, as shown in iig. 2.

It is obvious that, instead of elastic rubber bands, spiral or other springs may be used on the 'outside of the tubes.

i' In delivering the coin from the bottom of the tubes, I employ the mechanical devices clearly shown in figs.

3 and 4. Underneath each of the tn bes, from the bottom of which the coin is to be delivered, I place a slide, E,

which, when in position,will project beyond the vfront face of the tubes, as shown in figs. 2 and 3. In the bottom of the part of the slide-E, which projects beyond the front of thc tubes, is a circularhole, t', large enough to allow the coin to drop throngh. On the front part of the slide, I fasten an end-piece, k, which I press against in shoving the slide. The end-pieces of two adjoining slides, under two adjoining tubes, coming close together, I mark with the value of the'coin in each tube, on each corresponding slide, and also mark them both, so as to showthe sum or amount of two coins, taken from the adjoining tubes, as shown in figs. 1 and 5..

The adjoining tubes shown there are for two-ccnt and five-cent pieces, respectively, making together seven cents. In the slide, I place a pawl, m, arranged so as'to swing upon a pivot, and so that, when in its natural position,

its-upper end will project, through alongitudinal slot in the bottom of the tube, a distance equal to the thickness of the coin in the tube. Between the tubes, and below the line of their. lower ends, I extend the partition, or fasten on a piece, p, as shown in iig. 5, and on the rear ends of the slides E attach a hook, 1', as shown in iig. 3, and then stretch an elastic, H, around these hooks r, and the front end'otthe piece p, as shown in iig. 5. By this arrangement the two adjoining slides --may be shoved back at once, or only one, as may be desired. It is obvious that the assorter B may be arranged so as to stand directly over the vertical tubes, in which case the inclined bottom c will be dispensed with, and the coin, instead of falling on this bottom, will fall directly into the vertical tubes.

When there are coin in the tube, as shown iniig. 3, thc pawl m will be pressed down, so that its upper end will be iiush with the bottom of the tube; and, when the slide is thrust back, so that the end of the pawl is released, the end will risejust high enough to catch one of the coin, and deliver it as the elastic, H, springs the slide E forward. The form of the pawl is clearly 'shown in iig. 3, and the manner of attaching it in fig. 5.' -In front of the lower end of the pawl 'm is a stop, u, to prevent its turning too farwhen its upper end engages a coin. In front of the place of delivery, I place-a guard, I, as shown in iig. 1,"and the hand 'can be held immediately under it, to catch the coin as they fall. 1

The tubes are-illed with coin` by the use of the assorter, B. The graduations are numbered from bottom to top when the coin is delivered from the bottom. 'Ihe tubes have a vertical slot in front, se as to show the exact height of the coin in them, the number of which is also shown by the gures in front.

After the coin are assorted and placed in the tubes, by pressing with the nger on one ofthe slides, one coin will be delivered; by pressing on two of them at the same time, two will be delivered, and, in this way, the coin can be as rapidly delivered as may be desired, either one at a time, or two of diii'erent values, as described.

It is obvious that by reversing the position of the pawl m, the slide E maybe made to deliver the coin in the rear of the vertical tubes, and whether delivered in the front or rear, they may fall on an inclined way, so as to be received at its lower end.

In my former application there was an arrangement for holding fractional currency of different denominations immediately under the bottom of the tubes. In this,l partition oi` and arrange a series of receptacles, J,

on one side of my device, as shown in g. l. The bottoms E oi' these receptacles slant a little downward from their outer edge, so that the currency will not fail or worin out. The front edge of these bottoms projects a little in front of the face of my device, and may be rounded or made with corners, as shown in the fig. 1. The

currency, when placed in these receptacles, is always convenient for use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, is-

1. The assorter, B, with an open front, and provided on its interior rear side with the guidesg and It, forming an inclined way, constructed and arranged for use, substantially as shown and described.

2. Operating the follower b, by means of a spring, C, applied externally, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth. i I

3. The slide E, provided with the end-piece k and pawl m, constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

4. Providing the slides E with springs, so that one or more of the slides may be operated automatically at the same time, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

` JOHN W. MEAKER.

Witnesses: i

J.V F. KnLLocG, H. C. Mener. 

